The Other Side of Laughter
by Kitty in the Box
Summary: Ryo watches an old home movie. Dee joins. Laughter ensues. But is it really that funny?


SUMMARY: Ryo watches an old home movie. Dee joins in. Laughter ensues but is it really that funny?

Disclaimer: Like all of you, I can only wish I own FAKE but I don't and all I can do I write fics to celebrate my love for them. I hope you enjoy this fic too.

**_THE OTHER SIDE OF LAUGHTER_**

**12:00 a.m.**

Ryo couldn't sleep. He has been tossing and turning and twisting on the bed and still he could not get some shut eye. Dee's even breathing was not helping either. He had done everything from pulling the covers to his eyes, hugging Dee like a pillow, read till his eyes twitched, drank about five glasses of water only to end up making frequent trips to the bathroom and nearly consumed his cookie supply.

Still the blonde could not sleep.

Dee has turned to his left side and murmured, "Ryo." The older man could not help but smile. It was so comforting that even in sleep, the younger man still thought of him although he didn't want to think what kind of dream it was especially with the way Dee mischievously smiled. He lingered long enough to smooth Dee's hair from his face.

_Dammit! I can't sleep. Argh! _

Finally he decided to get off from bed and headed straight to the living room. If there is no way he can sleep tonight then so be it. He looked into their dvd collection for anything interesting.

Nothing.

Maybe music would be nice, he thought. But as soon as his hands touched the stacks of cd, he lost interest.

There has to be something, he moaned.

He pulled out a very large shoe box from inside a small cabinet near the cd compartment and inside the box contained old video cassette tapes. Bicky's 11th birthday. The JJ Special. The Badger Files. Penguin Party. Orphanage Celebration. Drake and Ted Adventures. Dee's Hideaway. Rose and Diana Wedding. Cal's Commerical. Dee's Getaway. Ryo Asleep.

Ryo chuckled at that, he remembered waking up in the morning with a camera just inches to his face and Dee laughing like a hyena. He pulled the covers to his face but Dee could not be stopped and even snuck in the covers with him, camera on and all then chased him inside the bathroom. End of tape.

But there was one tape that was just labeled RYO. He wondered what this one was and it was rather old.

"Well…I might as well check this one out."

He slid the tape inside the player. It was an old home movie and his heart jumped when he saw his mother waving at the screen.

_Oh my god! It's mummy._ Ryo could not help but smile sadly and waved back.

It was the morning of his birthday and his parents took a video of him while he was still asleep. He wondered what is it with people taking a knack of videotaping him in his sleep.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RYO!"

Ryo sat up immediately. "WHA! No mummy! Take the camera away from me…this is so embarrassing! Dad!" He hugged the pillow to his face.

He could hear his parents laughing loudly as the camera panned to the ceiling and shaking.

"C'mon birthday boy! Wakey! Wakey!" His mom was pulling the pillow from his face.

Ryo finally recalled the event. It was his 11th birthday. The next scene followed with his mom smothering him with kisses while his dad was laughing and holding the camera. The boy had his hair ruffled and he rubbed his eyes and pouted at the camera. It was a very cute pout.

"Hey baby."

"Huh? Oh Dee!"

"I reached out for you but you were not on the bed so I wondered where you were." Dee was scratching his stomach and slid on the couch beside him.

"It's an old video taken by my parents on my 11th birthday."

"Wow! REALLY? COOL! How come I haven't seen this one before?"

"Well, I was surprised too….it was just lying there though."

Dee was immediately glued to the screen and for the entirety of the video laughed boisterously, smacking his thighs and holding his stomach with the antics of Ryo's family and the 11-year-old boy as well. On the other hand, the blonde was squirming and wincing at the dark haired man's reaction to the film.

The film ended and Dee was busy wiping his tears and hiccupping from laughter. Ryo pouted at his laughing companion.

"That was so funny, Ryo! Wait till the guys at the station get to see this on our monthly video night."

"Oh don't you dare get any ideas, Dee Latener! Or I am not going to speak to you for a month! That wasn't funny!" He pointed at him and smacked the pillow to his face.

"But Ryo…" Dee grinned.

"And on top of that you'll be sleeping on the couch!" Ryo frowned and crossed his arms on his chest.

"Oh baby…don't be so catty." Dee grinned and kissed him on the cheek only to get pushed away by a very embarrassed Ryo.

**2:30 a.m.**

Ryo is facing the bedside lamp and clutching the pillow. Dee is flat on his back with his arm over his forehead. Neither said a word which was making the older man very uneasy. _Oh crap! Now I feel weird…first I can't sleep and now I feel so uneasy._

He turned to face Dee and touched his cheek with his finger.

"Dee…? You still awake?"

"Hmmmm….what's up, baby?"

"Are you mad?"

"Heck! No! Why should I be?" Dee turned to face him and caught his hand and kissed each of his fingers.

"I mean….there's something about you I can't place….what's up?"

"Nothing."

"I know there's something." He turned on the bedside lamp and sat on his stomach.

"Awwww! Ryo is this some kind of interrogation? What will you do if I won't cooperate?" Dee grinned while squeezing Ryo's thighs.

"Dee….tell me….what's up?" His voice pleading. He knew there was something different with Dee. His eyes did not match the mood of his playful grin the very least even in the darkness of the room, he could feel Dee's face.

"There's nothing okay?"

"I know there is and I want to know whatever it is."

"Can we just drop it?"

"So there is something because why do you want to drop it?"

"Ryo…please…baby…let's just go to sleep coz I kinda like your position like this or you won't be getting any sleep afterall."

"Dee?"

"You're not going to let it go, won't you?"

"No." He shook his head.

Dee smiled at his lover's stubbornness but stared at the ceiling. The same look of utter loss all over again which worried Ryo in the first place. He laid his head on his chest as the younger man ran his fingers on his hair.

Silence pervaded the room and all was heard was their breathing and then the silence was broken with a sigh.

"What's it like?"

The blonde raised his head with a look of utter confusion.

"What's it like what?"

"Having a birthday?" Such a simple question but meant the world to Dee the most.

"C'mon don't be silly…you have a birthday too, you know."

"I know I do I just don't know when exactly. The DOB I have on my record files is the day Jess found me."

"Oh."

"I shouldn't complain. Heck! I think it's too late to think about such things at my age."

"No it isn't."

"You promise you won't laugh?"

"I promise."

"While you were getting embarrassed watching that old home movie of you and your family, I couldn't help but laugh. Okay, I admit most of the scenes were really hilarious but it was so much fun. You know, being so sure of yourself and surrounded by people who witnessed the day you were born. It just felt so good, Ryo yet so alien to me."

"I remember there was this little kid in the orphanage. I think she's four and she would be so proud announcing her age and her birthday like it was some kind of a tremendous honor on her part letting anyone know that. I found it so corny then but when I was alone at night, I couldn't help feeling insecure over something as simple as knowing your birthday."

"When I was a kid Penguin would order a cake for a celebrant but it was never a special one because having a cake in the orphanage meant it was a general matter. But then as the number of kids grew, celebrations were cut down to size to the point we only celebrated Christmas, Thanksgiving and New Year. I didn't think too much of it and even consoled myself that birthday parties are for sissies. I even avoided celebrating any of my friends' birthdays and always came up with an excuse. So far I've only began to observe birthdays were at the station like yours, Drake's, Ted's, JJ's. I see no point in having mine since I don't have one anyways."

"Oh Dee….but having a birthday is…..wonderful. Some people take it for granted but it means so much. My family loved birthdays and we gave each other presents. The memories are so good that it makes me so lonely that I can never ever spend such special times with them."

"But that's the thing, Ryo….you have memories. No one can ever take that away from you. They are yours forever. You have that confidence within you knowing your identity. Where you come from and everything that makes you the person you are today. I wish….I had a bit of that security." Dee closed his eyes.

"I love you still." Ryo kissed him tenderly. "Gods! Dee! There is not a day that passes by that I thank your parents whoever and wherever they are that they have produced someone as wonderful and as crazy as you. A birthday is a time for celebration but it does not mean that by not knowing the exact date makes you less than who you are. You're here right now in this room with me and I'm crazy in love with you. Isn't that real enough?"

"How come you always have the right things to say?" Dee smiled gratefully.

Ryo laid his head on his chest again and kissed it. "It's not the right thing to say, it's just the truth, my love."

**_author note: well what do you think, guys? i had this idea in my head just last night and i was giggling in bed and very excited to write it down. i hope you like it. i had so much fun writing it and very in love with Ryo and Dee. FAKE makes me so happy and warm._**


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